Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the vaccination status of children with neurological disorders and the associated factors.
Material and Methods: The patients and their parents who were followed-up at the Erciyes University Pediatric Neurology department and who accepted to join this study were included from January 2013 to January 2015. A questionnaire form consisting of age, diagnosis age and gender of the children, mother’s age and education status, vaccination status of the children, reasons of missing vaccination, history of going to the emergency department because of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) and history of vaccination with seasonal influenza vaccine were administered. results: Three hundred and twenty-one patients whose mean age was 3.5±4 years and 57% were male were included in the study. The mean age of the mothers was 32±7 years and 50% of the mothers had graduated from primary school. Eighty percent of the patients had been diagnosed with epilepsy. It was determined that 17% of the patients had been missing immunization due to neurological disorders and 11% of them have been still missing immunized. Median age and diagnosis age, mean mother’s age of the patients with missing immunization and neurological disorders were smaller than the fully immunized children (p=0.02; p=0.02; p=0.003 respectively). The presentation rate to the emergency department due to AEFI was higher in the patients with missing immunization than the fully vaccinated (p<0,001). The most common reason for missing vaccination of the patients with neurological disorders was frequent or long-lasting hospitalization (55%). It was determined that 12% of the pediatric neurology patients had been immunized with influenza vaccine. conclusion: A neurological problem is one of the reasons for missing immunization. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the vaccination status and the missed opportunities of the patients, prevent unreal contraindications and inform the parents at every visit in both the primary care and treatment centers. It is especially important to follow the patients who are hospitalized frequently or for a long time, small in age, and who have experienced AEFI. Use of the influenza vaccine should be generalized for pediatric neurology patients
Keywords: Vaccine, Missing immunization, Neurologic disease
References
- World Health Organization. Erişim tarihi: 18 Şubat 2017. Available from: http://www.who.int/campaigns/immunization-week/2016/ en/.